Introducing the World’s First Photobooth That Prints 3D Figurines Instead of Portraits

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At the Makerbot pop up shop in Nolita, you can purchase mini figurines made by high-tech 3D printers in shapes like cats for $5 a pop. They’re a cute novelty, but there’s nothing personal about them; they’re basically mass-manufactured balls of plastic. But a new invention showing at an exhibition space in Japan puts a personalized spin on the 3D printing market. The Omote 3D printer is a photobooth, but instead of printing out your photo on paper, it prints a miniature replica of you.

Customers stand still in a chosen position for 15 minutes while a 3D scanner measures them from different angles. The data–as detailed as hair color and clothing texture–is transferred to a computer, from which it’s then printed using a 3D printer.

The printer will be set up for a limited time at the Eye of Gyre space in Harajuku, which requires a reservation for you to have your portrait taken. Portraits are also on the pricey side: a small 10 cm figurine costs 21,000 yen–or $261–while a large 20 cm one costs double that. Still, it’s probably the closest you’ll ever get to having an action figure of yourself.

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